Wrench.



J. H. vmToN.

WBBFOH. nrmornon Hmm :un: sa. 1911.

Patented Dea 19, 1911.

Pxl

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. VINTON, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO TRIMONT MANUFAC-TUBING COMPANY, OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

WRENCH.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. VINTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in lVrenches, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecication, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to wrenches and particularly to that type ofwrench in which the movable jaw is adjusted by or through the operationof a nut. In many wrenches of this type the nut projects beyond the bodyof the wrench on opposite sides so as to provide a projecting portionwhich can be readily gras ed when it is desired to turn the nut. I awrench of this sort is laid down on a flat surface the periphery of thenut engages the surface, and if the wrench is accidentally moved overthe surface the friction of the nut thereagainst is very likely to turnthe nut and thus destroy the adjustment of the jaws.

The object of my invention is to provide means for preventing the .nutfrom becoming accidentally turned when the Wrench is laid down or ismoved about over a surface on which it rests.

I accomplish my object by providing a nut guard which is associated withthe nut and which projects beyond the nut sulficiently so that when thewrench is laid down it will be supported on the nut guard and not on thenut, and the nut will be prevented rom contacting with the supportingsurace.

My invention is cap-able of employment in almost any wrench wherein themovable jaw is operated. by turning a nut or its equivalent, but inorder to illustrate the principle of the invention I have chosen to showit as it would be embodied in a well-known type of pipe wrench.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a wrench having m inventionapplied thereto; Fig. 2 is a section on the line Fig. l; Fig. 3 is asection on the line y-y, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one ofthe nut guard members.

The wrench herein shown comprises the wrench body 1 having the handle 2and fixed jaw 3 integral or rigid therewith and the movable jaw 4 whichis provided with the screw-threadedl shank 5 that slides Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application led June 23, 1911.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Serial No. 634,864.

through the guide G formed on the wrench body and that hasscrew-threaded engagement with t-he nut 7 that is confined in said,guide and is held from longitudinal movement thereby. Thescrew-threadedshank 5 is shown as having two opposed fiat sides 8 whichlit corresponding fiat faces in the opening through the guide 6.

The parts thus far described are such as are commonly found in pi ewrenches, or in fact in some types of mon ey wrenches, and form no partof my present invention, it beingunderstood that the movable jaw 4 isgiven its movement simply by turning the nut 7. In this type of wrenchthe nut 7 is of such a diameter that it projects beyond the wrench bodyon opposite sides thereof, the projecting portions of the nut affordingmeans by which the nut can be readily turned. As stated above when awrench of this sort is laid down on its side the nut will contact withthe surface on which the wrench rests and if the wrench is accident-ally moved over the surface the nut is liable to be turned, thusdestroying the adjustment of the jaw 4.

My invention comprises a nut guard which is associated with the nut andwhich supports the wrench when the latter is laid down. This nut guardmay have a variety of constructions without de arting from my invention.One simple an convenient construction is that herein illustrated whereintwo guard members are employed, one on either side of the shank 5. Theseguard members have a general U-shape, as shown in Fig. 4, and each isformed with the fiat body portion 9 which overlies the flat face 8 ofthe shank and extends through the nut 7 and with the wings or arms 10which overlie the sides of the nut and are of a size to project beyondthe periphery of the nut, as clearly seen in Figs. 2 and 3. I willpreferably use a guard member of this nature on each side of the shaft5, both guard members extending through the nut and the wings 10 thereofoverlying the ends of the nut and extending beyond the periphery. Theseguard members are prevented from turning by their engagement with theshank 5, but they do not 1nterfere at all with the turning of the nut.Since the wings 10 project beyond the periphery of the nut it will bereadily seen that when the wrench is laid down on its side, as shown inFig. 2, said wrench will rest on the Wings 10, thus holdin0r theperiphery of the nut 7 above the surface 11 on which the wrench rests.Since the nut 7 is entirely out of contact with the surface 1,1 said nutwill not be turned at all by any movement of the Wrench over the surfaceas would be the case if the nut rested directly on the surface.

In the preferred embodiment of my invent-ion the Wings 10 are Wider thanthe body portion 9 and have a sufficient extent of bearing surface attheir outer endsso that they will prevent the nut from contacting withthe surface 11 in any position of the wrench. I Wish to state in thisconnection that my improvements are not limited to the type of wrenchherein illustrated, as the principle of the invention can be einbodiedin almost any Wrench Where the jaw is turned by a nut or otherequivalent part whether the nut is situated as shown in the drawings oris placed at the end of the Wrench handle, or in any other location. I,therefore, Wish to cover this feature broadly regardless of theparticular construction of the Wrench.

In practice I propose to make the body portion 9 of each guard member ofa size to substantially fill the space between the flat face 8 and theinterior of the nut 7, saidl body portion having the rounded edges 12 asseen best in Fig. 2. The advantage of this construction is that the nutwill operate more evenly and with less loose play than Where acomparatively large space exists between the sides 8 and the nutinterior as would be the case if the nut guards Were not present.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:-

l. In a Wrench, the combination with a wrench body, of a movable jawhaving a screw-threaded shank, a nut screw-threaded to said shank, anda. nut guard extending through the nut and provided with Wing portionsoverlying the ends of the nut and projecting beyond the peripherythereof.

2. In a Wrench, the combination with a wrench body, of a movable jawhaving a fiat-sided screw-threaded shank, 'a nut encircling said shank,and a U-shaped guard member extending through said nut and provided withWings which ovellie the end thereof and extend beyond the periphery.

3. In a Wrench, the combination with a wrench body, of a movable jawhaving a` screw-threaded shank provided with opposed flat sides, of anut embracing said shank, and two guard members each having a fiat bodyportion overlying a` flat side of the shank and provided withlaterally-extending wings or arms which embrace the nut and extendbeyond the periphery thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN` H. VINTON.

Witnesses LOUIS C. SMITH, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

